


The Queen's Favor

by Star Page (Pageofstars)



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Mythology, M/M, Spoilers, Zeus (Hades Video Game) Being an Asshole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:28:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29746377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pageofstars/pseuds/Star%20Page
Summary: Old myth has it that Hera convinced Hypnos to place Zeus into a deep sleep so she could avenge the ransacking of Troy by his son Hercules. Zeus once awoken flew into a terrifying rage aiming to kill the God of Sleep for his trickery. Hypnos escapes with help from his mother Nyx returning to the safety of the Underworld.In retaliation, Zeus sends the troublesome God of War to seize the Chthonic God.Ares began reaping the spoils of war.
Relationships: Ares/Hypnos (Hades Video Game), Charon/Hermes (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 122





	The Queen's Favor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my new multichapter fic. I was bit by inspiration the other day and wanted to contribute to a ship that lives in my head rent-free. This one will be a bit of a slow buildup, but I hope you enjoy the ride. 
> 
> As a side note this will divert from the myth to fit my Ares/Hypnos needs, so be warned!
> 
> As usual, you can catch me on the bird app: starpagenotes

The House of Hades had finally reached a state of calm.

It had taken time. The mending of familial relationships and the drama that came with it lead to numerous struggles that had the tranquil house upended until a resolution was met between Olympus and the Underworld. With the calm returned, it brought healthier relationships between the Olympians and the Chthonic gods. It wasn’t perfect, but progress had been made with help from Zagreus. 

The improved relationship meant that communication increased between the two domains. Lord Hermes became a regular fixture within the House of Hades, dutifully delivering messages between the realms. His frequent clients being Lady Demeter and Queen Persephone. 

It was on one of these trips, Hypnos the God of Sleep received his first missive from Olympus instead. 

Faster than the winds could keep up, the messenger of the gods flew through the doors of the House of Hades from the garden, briefly waving to the Queen of the Underworld on his way in. She was carefully trimming fruit from a flourishing pomegranate tree, humming a soft tune as she did. Contentment was etched on her face, as she worked in her element.

Hermes wove past the shades milling at the entrance with ease, nodding his head politely as he flew past the goddess Nyx. He reached the main audience hall where Hades was sitting behind his desk, looking annoyed as a shade seemed to be giving a dramatic rendition of his life. The man, Hermes' uncle, didn’t bother to acknowledge his arrival. No offense was taken, as that was just how Hades was. Hermes also had no missive for him today, so it saved him any awkward interruptions.

Hermes instead made a direct line to the God of Sleep, laid out on the lavish red sofa dead asleep. He was physically on the furniture, his face half-buried into an opulent purple cushion. His familiar eye mask was on, his limbs curled up close to his chest. His fingers lightly gripping onto the cushion. He was peaceful there, obviously comfortable enough to sleep on the job. 

Unfortunately for the God of Sleep, Hermes was not one to wait. He clapped his hands together vigorously by the sleeping man's head, speaking loudly near his ear. “Delivery for Lord Hypnos!”

Hypnos was cruelly ripped from the soothing pools of sleep, pulled harshly back to reality with being awoken. 

He clawed back to the surface of consciousness, feeling himself summoned from his slumber. Reconnecting his awareness to his body felt like slamming water into an already full jug. To be awake to Hypnos meant to be loosely contained at best.

All beings were always dreaming. When it came to who he was and his power as a god, Hypnos felt he connected more with his eldest brother, rather than his twin. Like Charon, Hypnos was a Chthonic being who lived both as an individual and a joint entity with his power source. For Charon, that was the Styx. For Hypnos, it was sleep. Or rather the ability to ferry beings into sleeps embrace, then release them once they were rested. Sleep in Hypnos' opinion may as well be as alive as the river itself. Sleep was a drug that captured all beings and stilled all movement. It was a relentless current, always drawing deeper and deeper. Even immortals stood no chance to the call of sleep. He was a god meant to ferry people through their endless cycles of sleep, as constant as Charon was at the end of a mortal's life.

Each time he surfaced from sleep it was uncomfortable but inevitable.

“Ah!” His body jolted awake, hands moving from the pillow up to push up his mask and rub his eyes as he adjusted to the warm light of the hallway. It was now decorated with a lavish fireplace thanks to one of the prince’s many investments in home improvement. Golden eyes struggled to focus, the lighting still harsh. 

Sleep teased his fizzy thoughts, trying to coax him back into the relaxing darkness. He had to shove it down, forcing himself to acknowledge his skin as a container, and force his consciousness to the forefront of his mind again. Hypnos had to _focus._

Hermes was floating before him, his chiton fluttering slightly from a stream of wind that always seemed to orbit around the man. It made his earrings slightly jingle as he moved, and carried the warm smell of life and something citrus that he vaguely remembered being described as ‘summer sun’. 

The rose-tinted description of the other god brushed over his borderline rude personality at times. Charon honestly would let Hermes get away with theft of his obols with how bad he had it for the God of Swiftness.

For once, Hypnos had been taking an _allowed_ break. But he wasn't about to get into a dispute with the other. He let out a tired “I’m up!” as he moved to an upright sitting position, his legs neatly crossing underneath him on the settee. 

He needed to thank Zagreus for the addition.

Hermes smiled at him, digging into his satchel clinging to his hip. From there he withdrew a scroll, holding it out to Hypnos.

“Delivery boss! This one is a little...special.” As Hypnos observed the others' expression, it led Hypnos to believe by _special_ he meant something unfortunate based on how the smile didn’t reach brown eyes. “Just let me know if you want me to take a return missive.” There was a hesitance to the other god’s voice. 

Gold eyes widened, fingers reaching to take the offered scroll but immediately froze before making contact. A chill ran down his spine as he spotted a feather neatly pinned to the parchment.

A nervousness clawed down his back. It was rare when Olympians would seek out Chthonic beings, but not unheard of. Hermes was the only exception to the mix. For one to send the messenger to the god of sleep meant something was off. Even if he did occasionally help the Olympians find rest, he had never interacted with them in person. 

But here it was that in front of him stood the messenger of the gods who came into the House of Hades looking for him. He was holding out a letter between bronze fingers, clutching a scroll tied with a _peacock feather._

There was only one Goddess who used those feathers. 

_‘What would the Queen of Olympus need from me?’_ Hypnos chewed on his bottom lip.

“So uh, you aren’t going to let me decline this, are you?” he offered weakly, holding his palms up flat to the messenger. 

Hermes’ chuckled, forcing the scroll into the chthonic god's hands. “No chance! I’m just a messenger.” he then flew back out of range as if Hypnos would attempt to return it immediately; the delivery completed. It was obvious having even made contact with the missive had made Hermes unnerved. 

Taking the scroll between pale fingers, carefully the primordial deity unfurled it. Eyebrow shooting up at the contents, he let out a gentle whistle, eyes running over the letter a few times just to confirm the contents. 

_Lord Hypnos,_

_You have been cordially invited to grovel in the presence of the illustrious Queen of Gods. In one cycle of the Bastard's chariot, you will bask in my presence._

_Queen of the Gods_

_Hera_

Hypnos understood the reluctance of Hermes to return any messages. Hera, the Queen of the Gods was nothing short of a nightmare filled with jealousy and rage that could rival the furies. The fact she was demanding a god from another realm come to speak with her was nothing good.

Rubbing his face he glanced back at Hermes before returning his eyes to the scroll. This wouldn’t be something he could just laugh off and avoid, less they risk earning Olympus ire. 

It also meant he was being forced to Olympus. 

“It’s a real shame she had to give me a letter.” He sighed. 

“I wholeheartedly agree boss.” Hermes crossed his arms expectantly, brown eyes scanning over him amused. Hypnos wasn’t familiar with the other god outside of Charon’s interpretations of his favorite subject outside of obols, but he could tell there was a level of discomfort in this entire situation. Hypnos wondered if it was just due to the involvement of his stepmother, or just a general discomfort for when Olympians crossed paths with Chthonic Gods. Regardless, nothing good usually came from climbing Olympus. 

\---

Hypnos wanted to consult his mother before he left but as usual, she was oddly absent whenever he needed her. She thought of him as too dependent, he knew as much. While Charon had mastered the pull of the Styx and earned her respect, and Thanatos well - he was the model child. He did everything by the book. 

  
He was very much aware of the list of her children, she viewed Hypnos as the least successful. It hurt, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Running to her the moment he received the missive should be expected in Hypnos opinion, after all, how often did Olympians summon them?   
Never. 

  
But when he had checked her usual spots, she had been absent. This left Hermes with few options on whom to speak with. He settled with the easiest one - the eldest brother.

  
Charon much like Hermes wasn’t thrilled at the situation, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it. He just offered Hypnos a reassuring pat on the shoulder. There wasn’t anything the Goddess could do to sleep incarnate in all honesty, so he just needed to hear her out. He also reminded Hypnos that if there was any trouble, Charon could come and retrieve him. 

The thought of the imposing boatman clawing his way into Olympus gave him some comfort.

He had the best brothers.

\---

After a quick trip to the temple entrance via boat and hitching a ride with Hermes up the mountain, they made it to the top of Mount Olympus. The odd duo breezed past the golden gates up to the realm of the gods in no time. 

Olympus was exactly what he had been expecting, seeing as the Olympians all seemed to have a preference for nothing but themselves. Selfishness ran thick in the blood. 

Imposing statues of the gods lined the bright almost holographic halls. Endless paintings of the family members in various tributes were plastered across every visible surface. They were the only distraction from the blinding flickering colors of the stone used to build the complex. The majority of the statues were of Zeus - or rather who Hypnos assumed was Zeus seeing as his symbol was carved on pendants or engraved into the base. It made sense for the self-obsessed god.

Hypnos continued after the God of Swiftness, who pulled him by the wrist through the halls at lightning speed to reach the destination. Hermes unlike Hypnos knew Olympus like the back of his hand. Had Hypnos been traveling on his own, he never would have made it in time for the meeting. 

The realm itself was oppressively bright and his eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the light reflecting off the floor and walls. Easily he could end up disoriented. The pressure of the surface realm also pressed harshly against his lungs in an uncomfortable manner, draining his energy faster than he expected. 

“ _Natural Causes got you again, huh? That's a real shame, I mean, imagine one day you're just going about your business, and then ack!! You're dead! Although I guess you don't have to imagine it like I do!”_

His own words haunted him, memories of seeing Zagreus pushing up to the top of the Pool of Styx surfacing in his mind, his list updating with his cause of death. If Olympus was like this on his body, he could only imagine how staying on the surface was. 

Hypnos just wanted a nap. 

Traveling down the endless hallways half shielded under his large red overcoat, he followed the messenger god to the opulent set of double doors engraved with a peacock carved ornately in the stone. The Queen’s door. 

The tension inside him forced Hypnos’ bare feet to make contact with the cold stone floor. They then shuffled awkwardly with each step, him walking in the unfamiliar territory. Even though he was a god, the oppressive nature of Olympus rammed down on his lungs each quiet breath heavy, as if the realm were aware that Hypnos did not belong. Idly he wondered if Thanatos had the same experience whenever he crossed the threshold. He would need to ask the other the next time they met. 

Carefully he tapped on the door, which was then swiftly opened by an ethereal-looking woman with a button nose and a chest that would make most men weak. A nymph he registered briefly, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the god in front of the door.

Hypnos smiled lazily, tilting his head to the side. He hadn’t expected a warm welcome, and the woman’s less than approving stare was to be expected. 

He knew he was a sight to Olympians. His pale gray skin, white curls, and bright gold eyes spoke of the darkness of where he lived. However, his appearance resembled that of mortals more than his kin, which usually led to some confusion. Mortals described him as _beautiful_ when encountering him in dreams, likely the opposite of how Zeus had described them to the other gods.

Hera was the goddess of marriage and a few other domains that Hypnos kept his nose out of. At most their interactions were connected when mortals would dream about their wedding day. Even then Hypnos’ attention was usually split across _every sleeping being_ so he had little time to concern himself with her. 

The nymph finally finished assessing him stepped out of the way, she then shut the door behid him before returning to the group of servants milling about the room.

Passing through the threshold he was briefly blinded by the grandiose light reflecting from the overhanging chandeliers. Opulent gold, decorated with intricate waterfalls of crystal each infused with radiating tawny light glittered above the spacious suite. Cream couches were located in front of a hearth towards the back of the room. To the right, a king-sized bed covered in peacock feather bedding, with overly plush gold pillows, and a very large gold bird perched in the center. It was a golden peacock that was giving Hypnos the stink eye, much like the mistress who was looking at him through a reflection in the far vanity.

The scent of the room was floral. Something sickly sweet and strong that reminded Hypnos of ambrosia, but heavier. While the drink carried the barest of scents, elusive, something that would nip at a person's sense - this was just an assault on the nose. He knew some men preferred this type of layering when it came to product, but it simply itched the back of Hypnos’ throat, tempting him to sneeze. He knew if he did though, he could kiss any civil conversation with her goodbye. From what he had gathered, she was very easily offended. 

She was seated at a large vanity. The impressive gold structure had a large circular mirror the goddess sat in front of. She was taller than him, her ample chest contained in a deep gold v neck dress. Draped over her shoulders was a long sleeve gold bolero, lined with golden peacock feathers along the cuffs and collar. The gossamer fabric clung to her like a second skin, emphasizing her shapely form. Her honey brown eyes weren't kind, glaring holes at the red mass that was Hypnos entering her domain. 

He may have gifted her sleep and dreams when she wished, but he had never gazed on the Goddess in person. She was stunning, even for an immortal. 

"Greetings your majesty! You rang?” He kept his eyes trained on her reflection, meeting topaz with gold. He kept his face neutral, a task for the usually sleepy god. He never had to worry about this stuffy decorum stuff in the underworld. 

He was Sleep. Sleep equaled everyone out. 

There was a stretch of silence before finally she spoke. “You aren’t unsightly.” Her words seemed more curious than anything. “From my husband, I had come to believe all of you Chthonic gods were unseemly to a goddess’s eyes. “ she paused, setting her hairbrush down on the vanity to turn. Hypnos could see the gears turning in her head rapidly plotting out her next move carefully. 

He hadn’t expected much civility from an Olympian, so the backhanded compliment slid off him like water. 

“Come here!” She demanded abruptly. He hesitated for a moment before approaching the goddess. Once he was close enough she snatched his wrist, bringing it towards her eyes to examine. What she was looking at he didn’t know, but he could feel the prickling sting of her touch on his wrist. Her grip was like a vice. 

Not enjoying the manhandling and very quickly losing his nerve, he pressed her. “Er, your Majesty? Can I help you with something?” He kept his tone respectful and light, his eyes focusing directly on her. Her perfume was clawing down his throat, the closeness not allowing him space to escape it.

Carefully she twisted his palm upward, looking at the digits before spotting something he assumed she didn’t like. Promptly Hera thrust his wrist back at him as if it was on fire, and turned back towards the mirror. There was an anger in her eyes, and Hypnos was sure it was directed at him at this point. What could have offended her about his hand he couldn’t know, and he didn’t bother asking. 

She moved to pick her brush up again, bringing it to her loose chestnut waves of hair. She stayed silent while she selected her words before beginning. “You will put my husband to sleep.” she opened, lifting a hand to motion for some of her nymphs to come and tend to her. They quickly came to their mistress's side, beginning to massage her shoulders and feet. 

“I am working on improving our relationship, and I believe he needs a good night's rest to have a civilized conversation.” Her eyes in the reflection told a story, there was a fire behind them. A determination for something, but Hypnos had no idea what.

Hypnos wasn’t one to call the Queen of Olympus a liar, however something seemed off about the request. It wasn’t that gods couldn’t sleep - quite the contrary. They could choose to sleep whenever they wanted. Hypnos regularly found even those of Olympus would find the pull of his power and drag them into the embrace of healing rest on regular occasions. Dionysus having an active fondness for the inspiration his dreams would bring. 

Offering his usual sleepy smile to the imposing woman who was neatly combing her hair in her vanity. He allowed himself to appear relaxed, lifting from the ground. His feet lost contact with the tile, instead drawing up as he pulled his legs towards his chest as he thought about the demand. She wasn’t even looking at him anymore, instead focusing on her appearance as she pushed a gold brush through shimmering locks. The nymphs also built a comfortable barrier between the two.

“He needs sleep?” He repeated tilting his head to the side, the wings buried within his curls twitching slightly in curiosity. His right arm tucked under his cheek in thought. His brain scrolled through his checklist of requests he had received and had no recollection of Zeus asking for rest. The man had long ago, but Hypnos couldn’t remember the last time he had asked. “Is this not against his will, your Highness?” he questioned lightly.

“You will do this, Godling.” She left no room for argument, her tone getting sharp. “This is a request from your Queen.” 

Hypnos bit back the snarky comment, chewing on the inside of his lip. She wasn’t _his_ Queen.

Olympians were all the same. The moment they realized they needed help from another being, they would intimidate and demand. Hypnos was not a fighter however, the process was too messy. He was instead a master of escape - unable to be contained. Like his power, you couldn’t trap _sleep_ anywhere. Sleep would always find you instead.

She was telling him to put the King of Gods to sleep. It wasn’t an easy task, but one he knew he could do. No being was impervious to his pull. 

“Hypothetically, if I agreed to this my Queen, what is in it for me?” It was a simple question but held weight. He wouldn’t do any work for free- even Lord Hades didn’t get that much out of him. 

She bristled at the question, eyes darting back to him in the mirror. She tsked, pausing his brush movements briefly before returning to her movement. “Is helping your Queen not enough?” 

Her arrogance was comical. 

“With all due respect your Majesty, if Lord Zeus has not requested to be put to sleep, the task comes with risking the ire of the King of Gods himself. “ He tried to smooth over her proverbial ruffled feathers by explaining himself farther. “Olympus is not friendly to us Chthonic beings, as you have shown yourself.” He wasn't about to do something like this without some type of compensation. “So uh..no. Not enough.” He summed it up with a shrug of his shoulders.

She paused once again, he could see the anger churning within her but she knew he was correct. She had to control herself as she was requesting his assistance. He had the upper hand here.

"A bed." She settled on. " I will have Hephaistos construct a bed fit for the God of Sleep and have it delivered, once this task is completed." 

That struck a nerve. Through the centuries even with the expansions to the underworld, Hypnos was lacking in a bed that he could easily disappear into. His current bed was amazing, yes, but one from Hephaistos? He knew the craftsman could make something unparalleled in comfort and relaxation. 

His selfishness peaked at that. What was the harm if it was just a quick nap? 

"Deal." 

A satisfied smile spread across her lips, and Hypnos briefly wondered if he made the wrong decision. 

\---

Being a Primordial god had its perks. Hypnos was old - older than the young Olympians running around and causing havoc on the mortal realm. However, his size and appearance made him less than intimidating. Unlike his brothers Charon and Thanatos, he did not strike fear in the hearts of mortals. Rarely would they even whisper his name unless if they were begging for the sweet relief of sleep after so many nights without his blessing.

He was worshiped, but only in their dreams. His shrines on the surface were regularly neglected, not that Hypnos minded! It just served as another bitter reminder he wasn’t the one people wanted. 

They would lament him in poetry when he refused to grant them favor, trying to coax him into blessing them once it became too much. But would return to the same neglect once he continued his blessing. It was the same pattern. Mortals were selfish, just like the gods around him. Hypnos was always giving, but never one to receive. 

Leaving Hera’s room he paused briefly, before attempting to go back the way Hermes had advanced from. Hypnos wandered through the opulent halls of Olympus, making his way towards the exit as quickly as possible. Inside his head, he pondered over the not so _request_ from the Queen of the Gods, and his subsequent agreement. 

Maybe he had jumped the gun, but he didn’t have the opportunity to discuss it with his mother. It was just putting someone to sleep though, right? What the Olympian Matriarch did after that was none of his business. 

It was so bright up here he had a hard time navigating. A headache was starting to form in his temples, reminding him of how heavy he felt. It didn’t help that the place was a maze. Unlike Charon, he wasn’t a master at memorizing maps and locations. His gold eyes stung from the overabundant heavenly light, it being simply too bright for him. How Olympians could get any sleep was beyond Hypnos. 

Rounding another corner to hopefully lead him to the building exit, Hypnos made the mistake of turning too quickly. He made contact with something hard, smashing into a figure very firm, sending the floating god back a few feet. Letting out an undignified but very Hypnos cry, he caught himself. Had he not been floating he likely would have ended up on the floor. 

Straightening himself out, Hypnos focused on what he ran into. He was greeted by a massive figure, whose red eyes regarded him with an unreadable expression as he watched the floating god fix his jacket over his shoulders. 

“Oh wow! You’re huge!” it escaped his lips before he thought to stop it. Stream of consciousness.

That probably wasn’t the smartest thing to leave his mouth, but Hypnos had not expected to run headfirst into another god.

The man stood before him cutting an intimidating figure in the hallway. Large and toned arms casually crossed his chest, an intimidating blade radiating energy and the familiar scent of death lofting from his hip. His gold and black armor gleamed, despite the flicks of what Hypnos assumed was blood licked across the exposed metal. Slicked silver hair was slightly askew, his black laurels framing his hair demanding the respect of the room. The embodiment of war and bloodshed stood before the primordial one, unreadable expression on his face.

“Who are you, Godling? You smell of death, but not so much as my associate.” His voice was calm but held an authoritative tone. To meet red eyes, Hypnos needed to tilt his head back to even hold contact, which he did out of respect for the god he had just crashed into. 

“Oh! My apologies for running into you, Lord Ares.” It didn’t take much for the information to click into Hypnos’ head. The man before him was Ares, the God of War and son of Zeus. 

Whom he just agreed to put to sleep. 

Exhaustion slowly seeped into his frame as the prior conversation intruded his thoughts, his gold eyes losing some spark. He honestly didn’t know what to do in that situation, let alone if it was a good idea. He needed to converse with his mother - after all, anything involving the Olympians was asking for trouble. With Zagreus now settled back at home with his mother, they really couldn’t be taking large risks to bring Olympus’ ire. This in itself seemed like a large risk. 

He was knocked out of his thoughts when a sudden warmth made contact with his face. Tan calloused fingers reached under his chin, the God of War suddenly intruding on the floating god's personal space. Heat transferred from the fingers to his cool skin, sending a warmth running down his spine. 

His eyes widened slightly, locking with rubies once again. 

“Godling.” Ares repeated, a silver eyebrow raising curiously as he observed gold eyes seemingly glaze over, his head spinning with information the war god was not privileged to. Instead of waiting for a response, he had forced Hypnos’ attention forward once again, demanding his presence. 

A heat crept up the back of his neck, and he could feel his feathers bristle from the contact. 

‘ _Olympians_ _run hot.’_ The thought crossed his mind, unable to pull himself from the firm grip on his chin. Ares seemed to grow amused at the response, reaching a hand to wrap around the small of the floating gods back as if he was going to draw him closer. 

“Oh! Sorry! Sorry! I’ll be on my way!” The smaller god shifted his body to move around Ares, effectively escaping the man's grip before he made contact. Hypnos then made the move to bolt to farther down the hall, hearing the audible echo of a set of large double doors. Conveniently at the end of the hallway Ares had appeared from, Hermes was making his way down at a rapid speed. 

Hypnos had half expected to be grabbed by the man as he fled, but Ares simply let him by. He could feel vermillion eyes piercing through his back as he greeted the messenger with a raised hand. Brown eyes stared behind him briefly before he was ushered around the corner out of Ares's sight. 

“Cheers Boss! My associate is waiting for you at the docks.” Hermes playfully waved Hypnos through the entry doors before shutting it behind him, effectively making their escape from Olympus. 

\---

Unfortunately for Ares, the appearance of Hermes meant his question was lost as the psychopomp greeted the other god, obviously familiar with him on a level that Ares didn't understand.

As quickly as they had arrived the smaller gods had disappeared around the corner. Ares brought a contemplative hand to his face, gently stroking his chin before continuing his pathway towards the King of God’s room. 

  
An interesting and notable event had happened on Olympus. A small god had made their appearance, running into the God of War before quickly disappearing just as fast. He had come from the direction of the Queen’s rooms, indicating likely he was there to visit her. Though he had no solid proof of it.

  
While it was rare for others to seek his mother out, though Ares didn’t want to cling onto the mystery. Judging by the appearance of the other, he could have very well been his mother's consort. Ares had been caught off guard by the others' appearance if he could admit it to himself. He was small and nymph-like but held power way beyond one. He was dwarfed by the giant red coat surrounding him. The blood-red complimented his skin, reminding Ares much of the bloodshed he would witness in battle. When he had come close to the man, he caught the delicious ripe scent of death, though it was much fainter than that of say Thanatos, the God of Death. The man was also shockingly beautiful. He appeared delicate like a flower. As if too harsh of a wind could push him over and cause harm to pale gray skin. He wasn’t meant for fighting, it was easy to tell. 

Absently he brought his fingers to his lips allowing his tongue to lightly flick against the digits. A faint sweetness was left, a mixture of perfume and something earthy. Ares savored it, remembering what the skin felt like under his fingertips. Delicate. Untouched. He wondered if it would bruise easily if he held on too tight. 

If that was his mother's consort, he could easily draw the beauty to his side instead. It would be worth the ire of his dam, a battle he would be willing to undertake to tape a bite of a forbidden fruit.   
His interest peaked. 

  
A familiar call began to roll under his skin. The itch of war and bloodshed. It was the temptation of domination, the sweet call of claiming territory for the sake of victory and nothing else. 

  
There was another battle for him being teased, and he knew right away the spoils would be delicious.   
He chuckled to himself, he would decide on his next move later. For now, he proceeded towards his Lord Father's room. He needed to focus on the current battle - the ransacking of Troy. 

\---

Seeing Charon on the ride back was nice. Unlike Than, Charon didn’t mind his mindless chatter. However, on this trip, he was finding it hard to go on his usual tangents about shade death. It was a nice distraction to be able to speak to his elder brother, the opportunity so rare, but the tension in his body was tight from his experience in Olympus. He found the words dying in his throat before he could even speak.

  
He also didn't dare mention the strange behavior the God of War had shown.

  
Charon questioned him lightly as he boarded his boat, eyes showing the same level of concern from when Hypnos left. The touch of concern spread warmth to Hypnos’ cheeks. His brother honestly cared about the outcome of the situation.   
“It's ah - I’m not sure If I can talk about it.” He began, spinning his wrist freely. “ Once I get home I need to talk to Mom - though I suppose you would also have some insight.” He rubbed his chin lightly in compilation before yielding to his older brother's curiosity. Telling Charon couldn't hurt. 

He was quiet for a while, settling near his brother as the Ferryman began the departure to the House of Hades. Once he found his words he gave a tired smile. “The Queen of Gods asked me to put Lord Zeus to sleep. Imagine that!” There was awe in his voice, but it was heavy with apprehension.   
A questioning groan left his sibling, earning a shrug from Hypnos. “I’m not sure.” He leaned over the side of the cruising boat, his fingers lightly drumming on the ancient wood he rested his arms upon. "  
Your guess is as good as mine."   
Soon the lull of the boat began the familiar process of unwinding the stress on him. The comforting sound of Charon rowing towards the house mixed with the soft murmur of souls he had hitched a ride with upon returning to the temple entrance. Instantly Hypnos could tell his older brother was taking the long way to extend their time together. The shades could wait and enjoy the ride. 

  
He was.

  
Watching the passing of Elysium and the spreading of the lush greenery, eventually, he let the familiar tug of sleep coax him under its surface. The trip reminded him of a more simple time, when he could stay in his warm cocoon of darkness crafted by his mother to protect him as a young god.   
A lot had happened that day, and Hypnos had every right to catch some shuteye.  
It didn’t take much to roll up into the arms of oblivion, the God of Sleep exhausted from his eventful day. Comforted by the familiar hum of his elder brother's oar making contact with the river Styx.

He could deal with the repercussions later. For now, Hypnos could sleep.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> Until next time!


End file.
